The Best Plan
by ReetM
Summary: Upon waking up one morning after training with Jiraya Naruto realises that he is not alone in his room. Mindful of Akatsuki he quickly makes up a desperate plan. His only problem - Uchiha Itachi is a genius and no plan can fool him.


"Kit

"**Kit! Kit, wake up!**"

Naruto groaned inwardly – trust the fox to ruin his first peaceful night of sleep in who knows how long.

"What? Fox, I swear if you…"

The teen trailed off as he sensed foreign chakra in the hotel room and stilled.

"Shit!! Kyubi, why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"**I tried!**"

Uzumaki Naruto, - the stranger's voice sounded somewhat amused.

"Oh, shit, shit, shit and double shit! I'm dead!"

Naruto was frantically searching for a way for him to escape as he identified the speaker as Uchiha Itachi. There was no way in hell he could fight the Akatsuki members in his current condition. Jiraya was especially strict in his training the previous day.

"**Kit, I can give you some power…**"

"No, it won't work. Kisame's Samehada…"

"**Then what are we going to do?**"

The demon was really concerned – it didn't want to be experimented on by that crazy Akatsuki group.

- Uzumaki Naruto, we know you're awake.

Suddenly the boy's mouth twitched. He had a plan.

"Back me up, fox."

"**What?**"

The blond slowly turned towards the door, not moving from the bed yet, and let out a small gasp as he took in the sight of raven haired Uchiha before him.

It… Itachi…?

Naruto stood shakily and reached forward. The Sharingan user frowned but nevertheless stuck to the original plan.

- Uzumaki Naruto, come with us peacefully and…

- Itachi, is this really you? – Uchiha was surprised to see tears in the eyes of his prey.

- Yes? – He unsurely replied.

- Oh God, Itachi! – The blond threw himself on Uchiha and Itachi prepared to fight… only to feel the arms sneaking around his neck and the sobs rocking the body of jinchuuriki. – Itachi, you're alive… alive… thanks God…

The sobs were dying out and Itachi found himself armful of lithe blond.

- What do you mean? – Itachi looked at his companion standing in apparent shock and turned again to the matter at his hands. Literally.

- Huh? – Naruto raised his teary eyes and frowned. Several seconds later he unsteadily stepped aside. – Wait… wait… you're not Itachi!

The teen jumped to the other side of the room and stood there shaking. His eyes were once again filled with tears. Uchiha raised his brow and replied:

- Actually, I **am** Uchiha Itachi.

- Then… then… but it can't be true! I saw your death… You… you died… I saw it myself… - Naruto was slowly sinking to his feet.

Itachi tilted his head considering what the blond said. Something wasn't right…

- What is your name?

- Huh? Uzumaki Naruto. But…

- But?

- Um, where are we? – The boy looked very weary.

- We're in your hotel room.

- Hotel… room? But the last thing I remember is my flat in Konoha…

The idea has formed itself in Itachi's head.

- Naruto, - he addressed the teen and walked up to him. Said teen looked up and shivered uncontrollably, - let me try something…

The raven haired missing nin grasped boy's chin and activated Mangekou Sharingan. Immediately he found himself in strange looking corridor. Itachi looked around and soon spotted a door to the left. Sighing he opened it and stepped inside.

**- ****What are you doing here, mortal?**

- Kyubi, - the said young mortal acknowledged the great demon. – I came to ask about your host. What's wrong with him?

**- ****Hell, if I know,** - the fox started pacing in its cage. – **One moment he is perfectly normal. Well, as normal as he could ever be, - **the demon added under his breath, just loud enough for his guest to hear. – **And then he suddenly vanishes. I couldn't feel his presence at all. But after several seconds he came back, but changed… Uchiha! I don't care about anyone else but if you'd hurt the kit, you will pay…**

The last sentence sounded in already empty room. Several moments later the fox snorted and then outwards laughed. His kit's plan was truly devious. To pretend that he was from another dimension where he was in love with Uchiha Itachi to confuse said Uchiha so he wouldn't kill the blond immediately and then win enough time to survive until Jiraya would arrive… And taking into account the fact that Konoha missing nin would understand that something was amiss before he tried to kill the boy… Really, mused Kyubi, the kid was genius. The only thing his host had missed was that Uchiha was a genius as well and soon will figure out the plan completely. "**When it will happen, what will the kit do?"** The fox snickered.

Itachi returned to reality and sighed. So many complications… Though one was clear: he couldn't take the boy to Akatsuki now or he would never hear the end of this. Kisame wasn't a problem as he would do everything Uchiha asked of him. After all the life debt wasn't easily forgotten by the likes of Mist nin.

- … It-tachi…? What's going on? – The blond stared in fascination at man's hand still touching his face. Itachi tilted his head again and slowly stroked the boy's cheek. Naruto blushed slightly and to his confusion and Itachi's amusement leaned into the touch.

- Apparently, you switched dimensions, Naruto, - the man removed his hand and the blond wondered why he was feeling bad at the loss of contact. After all he was just pretending he liked Uchiha. Right? Right?! Naruto wasn't so sure anymore. – I have read about this phenomenon. Though it is very rare, it still happens.

- D-dimensions?

- Yes.

Naruto suddenly smiled:

- Well, it could be worse…

- Worse? – Itachi inquired.

- I could have woken up in the world where you are dead.

Itachi stared at the boy. And stared. And stared. And then he smirked. This situation could prove to be quite interesting. Especially seeing as he has already understood the game the blond was playing at. After all he wasn't a genius for nothing. Besides it was a game two can play.

Naruto watched the raven haired man warily. Something was wrong with his plan but he just couldn't figure out what exactly. The boy shrugged – as long as he was careful he will remain safe and healthy.

- Kisame, - Naruto started at the voice. He wasn't the only one.

- Y-yes, Itachi?

- Go to the headquarters and report that we have lost the sight of our target. I stayed behind to find it again. After that return immediately, - during these words Itachi's eyes never left Naruto's.

- Hai, - the sword wielder disappeared and soon they were alone in the room. Itachi smirked slowly, completely distracting Naruto from whatever thoughts he had, and seated himself on the floor near the boy. The jinchuuriki fidgeted nervously but didn't move away. Itachi's smirk widened a bit and he wondered what was going on in the boy's head.

"Shit, shit, shit. Hey, Kyubi, do you have any ideas about what to do now?"

"**Nope**" – the fox sounded genuinely amused by something.

"What's wrong with you, fox? I thought you didn't want to be caught by Akatsuki?"

"**Oh, but it isn't me who is caught at the moment. It is you. And it is Itachi doing the catching, not Akatsuki."**

"What do you mean, fox?"

The only answer Naruto got was the booming laugher so inwardly cursing he turned his attention back to Uchiha. Who, in turn, was studying him intently. Naruto fidgeted again and lowered his head. Maybe it wasn't such a good plan at all… The boy started as he felt Itachi's hand on his face again.

- It-tachi…?

- Tell me about your world, Naruto, - outwardly the Uchiha's face was impassive, but inside he was chuckling, wondering what the answer would be…

- My… world? – Naruto lowered his gaze, not daring to break the contact between his chin and Itachi's hand. – It is… dull. Empty.

- Empty? – Itachi frowned.

- Yeah… - the boy smiled slightly. – Even though I consider Iruka-sensei and Obaa-chan as a family, it just isn't right… - something changed in his eyes, Itachi silently noted. – It's like, like I'm constantly in water, you know. Like I'm always fighting just to stay on the surface, not to drown there. But sometimes, it's just so… hard, you know. It is so much easier to go with the flow… - A tear made its way down. A real tear this time. The boy closed his eyes and wondered why the hell he was telling all of this to the maniac who wanted to kidnap him and kill him later on. Probably because no one else from his tight circle of friends and precious people would believe him, aside from Gaara maybe.

Itachi blinked, whatever he expected certainly wasn't this. Sure he knew that the kid's life wasn't easy, but this… this resembled his own past too much. The mask he had been wearing had been slowly becoming his real face and so he'd fled… Itachi turned his attention back to Naruto, who at this moment was shaking slightly and trying to suppress tears that threatened to escape his eyes. Something snapped in the chest of the missing nin and he pulled the boy closer, embracing him. Naruto flinched and looked up in surprise and fear but seeing no danger in the man's eyes he relaxed and snuggled deeper into the red robe. His plan was going to hell, decided the boy, and damn all the consequences. Slowly he stopped shaking and just sat there crying silently. At some point he felt the tears disappearing and his eyes closing. He didn't fight this; rather he gave in and drifted to sleep.

Itachi was watching the boy in his arms pondering why he felt such a strong urge to protect him. The man sighed – last time he became this emotional was several months ago when his foolish little brother had tried to kill him with Chidori and failed. Again.

The missing nin shook his head and stood up, careful not to disturb the blond in his arms. He moved to place the boy on the couch but just as he started to remove his arms Naruto snuggled even closer to him and whimpered quietly. Itachi froze. Then he smiled and instead sat on the couch himself placing the boy in his lap. For the first time in many years his Sharingan faded revealing coal-black eyes and he sighed tiredly. Tomorrow… Yes, tomorrow, he will decide what to do with this situation. He absolutely couldn't bring himself to kill the kid, he realized. As for now, he just wanted to sleep. His hold on Naruto grew stronger as the man closed his eyes and the sleep claimed him… He will think about everything tomorrow… Yes… Tomorrow…


End file.
